Saturday, May 11, 2013

Description: The campus ministry program at Holy Trinity is rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The role of the campus minister is to offer opportunities for the spiritual growth and empowerment of young people. Responsibilities include organizing retreats; coordinating services; and facilitating opportunities for seasonal prayer and rituals, social justice activities, reflections and discussions, and Sacraments of Liturgy and Reconciliation. The campus minister works in collaboration with the school's Chaplain and Principal as well as with other faculty and administrators, related club moderators, and high school campus ministers in the Diocese of Rockville Centre (some night and weekend work is required).

"When he died in 1940, the writer considered himself a failure. He was an alcoholic, broke, and reduced to writing mostly unused Hollywood screenplays. His marriage had collapsed and Zelda was diagnosed as a schizophrenic. Fitzgerald's family were from Rockville, and though he had never lived there himself, the plan was for his body to be buried at St Mary's in the family plot. But the church refused, on the grounds that he wasn't a practising Catholic. Moreover, noted the parish priest, "we find his books objectionable".Instead, Fitzgerald was interred in nearby Rockville Cemetery. Few attended the funeral, and the Protestant minister who led the service didn't know who he was. The occasion was an eerie re-enactment of Gatsby's funeral, attended by not a single one of the hundreds of "friends" who went to the sumptuous parties at his Long Island mansion. Eight years later Fitzgerald was joined in death by Zelda. Only in 1975 were their remains moved to St Mary's."

Friday, May 10, 2013

If you know of any events that would be interesting for Catholics on Long Island please email me by clicking the Email Me at the right. I would like to be able to keep Long Islanders informed of events going on within the Church - Diocese of Rockville Centre, Diocese of Brooklyn and the Archdiocese of New York. Thank you!

I will keep the Events link on the right so they can always be easily found.

"VATICAN CITY — Two popes prayed together Friday at the Vatican, one Catholic and one Orthodox, in a sign of improving ties following the election of new leaders for both churches.

Pope Francis welcomed the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, Pope Tawadros II, in the first such meeting at the Vatican in 40 years, saying his visit "strengthens the bonds of friendship and brotherhood" between the two churches.

The Coptic and Catholic churches split in the fifth century over theocratic differences.

Christians comprise about 10 percent of Egypt's population. The Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt counts about 10 million faithful, while the Coptic Catholic Church in Egypt — whose faithful are loyal to Pope Francis — counts about 165,000.

Both, however, have complained about increased discrimination and attacks against them since the 2011 overthrow of longtime Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak, especially with the rise of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood."

Read the rest of this article with some pictures of the two Popes exchanging gifts. Since Pope John XXIII and the Second Vatican Council the Church has had improved relations with other Christians. It is good to see old rifts healed a bit, so hopefully we will see the Church 'breath with both lungs' as Pope John Paul II said.

Catholic News Service has a story about Mommy blogs - this subspecies of Catholic blogs has fascinated me since they first started to show up in growing numbers. Unlike the typical blogs in the early years of 'St. Blogs Parish', (See this early list of Catholic blogs that I read 10 years ago) Mommy Blogs do not focus so much on Church politics, regular politics, the Liturgy wars, or the Church scandals. They are more focused on the daily life of a Catholic mother, the joys and challenges of mothering and raising children in the 'domestic Church'. I find the mommy blogs to be very high quality and interesting, even though I am a daddy and not a mommy.The Catholic bloggers mentioned in the article are: Catholic Mom (Lisa Hendey), Not Strictly Spiritual (Mary DeTurris Poust), and Coffee Talk (Rebecca Teti).

Excerpt:

"WASHINGTON (CNS) -- One of Mary's titles is "Christ's First Disciple," and some of Christ's earliest followers were women, two of whom he appeared to first after his resurrection.

Now, some 2,000 years later, another special group of women, specifically Catholic moms who blog on the Internet about their faith, the Catholic Church, as well as the joys and challenges of parenthood and everyday family life, can be considered among Christ's newest evangelizers or "digital disciples."

"Part of our vocation as mothers is to be within our home and do our work with love, and (as Catholic bloggers) we can also do work that draws people closer to Christ and his church," said Lisa Hendey, a Catholic wife and mom blogger from Fresno, Calif.In between carpool, dinner and homework duties, a growing number of Catholic moms have turned to Internet blogging as a newfound outlet to enrich their own Catholic faith, as well as the faith journeys of their regular readers, with whom they form a sort of spiritual camaraderie."

Ladywood High School Angelic Chorale - Roosevelt High School Acappella Choir -
St. Robert Catholic Chorale New
Jersey Choral Society - Connecticut Choral Society
Keystone State Boychoir The
Choir of Historic St. Malachy's Church

Thursday, May 09, 2013

"London, United Kingdom - With her blue jacket and
baseball cap - and armed with a prayer as well as a walkie-talkie -
Audrey Golding is on her first patrol with London's growing army of
"Street Pastors" carrying out what she sees as God's mission on
Britain's boozy byways.

She is one of at least 11,000 volunteers
in the Christian organisation who patrol towns and cities across the
country at weekends to bring practical help - and, at times, a spiritual
message - to young people out partying late at night."

...

"The Pastors patrol in pairs talking to revellers, maintaining contacts
with bar staff, and helping drunken or troubled youths. At 85, their
oldest member, Pat Fletcher, says she has never felt vulnerable in her
five years patrolling.

They hand out lollipops, sandals for young
women who have removed their high-heeled shoes, and "spikies" - small,
plastic devices that allow people to prevent bottled drinks being
“spiked” maliciously with spirits.

As a religiously motivated
group, at times the Street Pastors will even openly pray in the street
with or for a troubled youth when appropriate.".....

""I am convinced that we avert some of the crime and violence," said
Tomlinson, who has been patrolling for seven years. "The most important
thing we can do is to maintain a presence, to be out there - and that
makes a real difference."

Other locals agree. Police officers on duty and club door staff speak in glowing terms of the Street Pastors' work.
"These guys are amazing: you have people sitting around blind-drunk
and they will always come and talk to them and encourage them to go
home," said Lawrence Dickson, the burly head doorman of Sutton's
Wonderland nightclub.

The work of the Street Pastors highlights a
strong emphasis on collaboration employed by local authorities such as
the police through the so-called "Safer Sutton Partnership". In what is
sometimes referred to as "joined-up" policing, officers consult
regularly with the Pastors, bar owners and security guards - and respond
rapidly to de-escalate signs of trouble.

Wednesday, May 08, 2013

A concert dedicated to all mothers, grandmothers, Godmothers, foster mothers, and all those who have been a maternal influence in our life will be held on Friday, May 10 at 8:00pm at St. Rose of Lima Church on Merrick Road in Massapequa. The concert will feature both the 100 voice Diocesan Choir of Rockville Centre, and the St. Rose of Lima Parish Choir, along with soloists and orchestra. The concert will be directed by Michael Wustrow and John Buckel. In addition to music in honor of the Blessed Mother, the featured work will be the St. Cecilia Mass of Charles Gounod.

Also known as the Messe Solennelle, the Mass dedicated to St. Cecilia is one of several Masses written by Gounod, who is also known for his many secular operas. This setting is very operatic in nature, capturing the texts of the Mass and presenting them with soloists, a full orchestra, and a large choir. The piety and sentiment are at times very subtle and other times overwhelming, but always related to the texts being sung.

The concert will also feature the two choirs divided antiphonally in the church, and will have several pieces dedicated to the Blessed Mother, including the famous Ave Maria of Franz Biebl.

Suggested ticket donation is $15 ($10 for students/seniors). A “Women of Faith” Honor Roll is also being created (living or deceased) and additional information may be requested at the time of ticket purchase. To obtain tickets and information about the “Women of Faith” Honor Roll, please contact the Diocesan Office of Worship at 516.678.5800 x504. or St. Rose of Lima Church at 516.798.4992 x240

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

The Latin Mass Magazine has introduced me to numerous Catholic people and historical events but unfortunately their articles are mostly unavailable online. It is well worth subscribing to the magazine anyway because the layout and quality are very good. The articles remind me of why I love Catholic history, culture and tradition. One such event I learned about through the magazine's most recent edition is the Shimabara Rebellion.

"The Shimabara Rebellion was an uprising in southwestern Japan lasting from December 17, 1637 to April 15, 1638, during the Edo period. It largely involved peasants, most of them Catholic Christians.

...Religious persecution of the local Catholics exacerbated the discontent, which turned into open revolt in 1637. The Tokugawa Shogunate sent a force of over 125,000 troops to suppress the rebellion and after a lengthy siege against the rebels at Hara Castle, defeated them.

In the wake of the rebellion, the rebel leader Amakusa Shiro was beheaded and the prohibition of Christianity was strictly enforced. Japan's national seclusion policy was tightened and official persecution of Christianity continued until the 1850s."

Statue of Amakusa Shiro, the rebellion leader who was only 16 years old.

The story of the 3 girls kidnapped and held captive for 10 years in Cleveland is just horrible. At least the girls are alive and reunited with their families. I hope the 3 Castro brothers that were arrested are thrown in prison for the rest of their lives, kept in general population, suffer greatly for years, and then convert and come to Jesus before dying at not too old an age. I often post stories involving violence by muslim radicals against non-muslims because there is a serious problem in the islamic culture that needs to be addressed until the violence ends. But the problem with violence and evil in our own culture of the USA is probably even greater and our whole society needs to be radically changed.

"Cleveland (CNN) -- When three women missing for about a decade turn up in your neighbor's house, little quirks look a little different.That's what some neighbors of a fired Cleveland school bus driver said Tuesday, a day after a woman's screams led to the arrest of 52-year-old Ariel Castro and his two brothers -- and freedom for Amanda Berry and two other women, Georgina "Gina" DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32.

Each disappeared from the same Cleveland street -- Lorain Avenue -- three miles from the home in which they were found Monday. They were found when one of them broke out the bottom of a screen door and called for help Monday evening, startling a neighbor who came over and helped kick in the door.

"Help me, I am Amanda Berry," the now-27-year-old woman told police in a frantic 911 call from the neighbor's house. "I've been kidnapped, and I've been missing for 10 years. And I'm here, I'm free now."

"In its latest edition, the magazine published by the Council of Laypersons of the Archdiocese of Havana criticized members of the opposition who advocate maintaining the economic sanctions against Cuba to accelerate democratic changes and guarantee individual freedom.“Some people, both Cuban and foreigners, insist in asking important world centers of power to destabilize the Cuban government,” the publication Espacio Laical (Layperson Space) says in its editorial. “Cuba has a lot to change, but the protagonists of those changes cannot be the centers of power in certain strong and influential countries.”The publication, headed by Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino, asks the centers of power to act “as friends who accompany us and not as judges who condemn us.” It also demands the government to exercise “a political evolution capable of expanding the opening process” and avoid “rigidities.”

Click here to read the rest of the article in the Miami Herald. The embargo against Cuba is a difficult issue - it has hurt the Cuban people but the government must be opposed in the strongest ways possible. Ultimately I believe dropping the embargo but continuing to oppose the Cuban regime will help the Cuban people while hopefully eliminating the Cuban government.

Monday, May 06, 2013

At The Catholic Thing.Org Brad Miner reviews the new book by Eric Metaxas which profiles these 7 men:George WashingtonWilliam WilberforceEric LiddellDietrich BonhoefferJackie RobinsonPope John Paul IICharles W. Colson"All of the heroes of 7 MEN were, in more ways than one, strong, and Metaxas writes that “God’s idea of making men strong was so that they would use that strength to protect women and children and anyone else.” They had chivalry, in other words (a subject dear to my heart). This is strength “given over to God’s purposes.” How else do such men found a nation (Washington), end slavery (Wilberforce), turn away from fame (Liddle), sacrifice everything (Bonhoeffer), break the color barrier (Robinson), change the world (John Paul II), and overcome public humiliation (Colson)?"

In the new book, ‘Confessions of a Sociopath,’ one
woman says yes—that those like her lack a moral compass and take joy
from our misery

"Her psychopathy manifests itself in generally soft violence: She
likes befriending other women, eliciting their deepest fears and most
shameful experiences, then using all that information against them: “I
indulge in inserting myself into a person’s psyche and quietly wreaking
as much havoc as I can,” she writes.

Thomas has set friends up
with each other, playing the long game and going after one half of the
couple when it will hurt most (she identifies as bisexual). She rose
academically and professionally through threats and bullying: gender
discrimination, fabricated claims of sexual harassment, anything that
would get her closer to her goals. She has destroyed others’ careers.“I
am absolutely shameless when it comes to asking for, pushing for, and
ultimately inducing people to give me what I want,” she writes,
“whatever it takes.”

Read the whole article in The New York Post. This is exactly why real Catholicism is so necessary and why the Church and American society needs massive reform. Wehave way too many sociopaths around and instead of fighting them, we seem completely oblivious.

"Bishop Robert Morlino is continuing to put more distance between the Madison Catholic Diocese and Holy Wisdom Monastery, a former Catholic monastery on the outskirts of Madison that is now a non-Catholic ecumenical retreat center.In the latest development, Morlino is now prohibiting priests in the diocese from “attendance or participation at all events held at Holy Wisdom Monastery and all events sponsored or co-sponsored by Holy Wisdom Monastery or the Benedictine Women of Madison,” according to a March 7 letter to priests leaked to the State Journal.

"WASHINGTON — When Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, 60, one of Cuba’s most famous — and intensely devout — Catholic activists was killed on July 22, 2012, his family, friends and human-rights advocates around the world considered the tragic death suspicious.

Now the U.S. State Department has called for an independent, international investigation into the circumstances of the accident.Payá founded the Christian Liberation Movement (CLM) in 1988 to advocate for free speech, freedom of association, more private property rights and the right to have a voice in government decisions through elections in Cuba. The Register profiled Payá in a lengthy interview in 2010.Calling for a national referendum on these freedoms, in an effort known as the Varela Project, in honor of a 19th-century Cuban-born priest, Father Felix Varela, the CLM gathered more than 25,000 signatures and presented them to the Cuban National Assembly in 2002 and 2003. As a result, most of the movement’s leaders were jailed in the "Black Spring" of 2003.

Many were released into exile in 2010 as a result of a deal worked out between the Church in Cuba, the Castro regime and the Spanish government."

About Me

A Catholic school lifer, who reverted to the faith some years ago. Member of Generation X, I have various interests but blog here only about Catholic stuff. I grew up on Long Island (Diocese of Rockville Centre) and still live here with my wife and son. I welcome information on good local Catholic / Christian events.